H-ARQ timing determination under cross-carrier scheduling in LTE

• US 9,674,855 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Damnjanovic, Jelena, Chen, Wanshi, Gaal, Peter, Xu, Hao
• Primary Examiner(s): Kao, Jutai
• Application Number:
  US13/802,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20130258864A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,546 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1854 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1861 Physical mapping arrangements for ACK signaling see also H04L5/0053
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1887 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1893 Physical mapping arrangements physical resource mapping in general H04L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 Wireless traffic scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1263 Mapping of traffic onto schedule, e.g. scheduled allocation or multiplexing of flows

Abstract

Techniques are provided for carrier aggregation and H-ARQ timing in LTE or the like. For example, there is provided a method, operable by a mobile device, that may involve identifying a first component carrier and a second component carrier among a plurality of component carriers to be aggregated, wherein a first number of subframes of a subframe type in the first component carrier is less than a second number of subframes of the same subframe type in the second component carrier. The method may further involve receiving a configuration to monitor a control channel for the second component carrier on the first component carrier. The method further may further involve determining a reference uplink-downlink subframe configuration for the second component carrier based at least in part on the subframe type and the received configuration for the control channel.

Claims

1. A method for carrier aggregation operable by a mobile device in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

identifying a first component carrier, affiliated with a first cell, and a second component carrier, affiliated with a second cell, among a plurality of component carriers to be aggregated, wherein a first number of subframes of a subframe type in the first component carrier is less than a second number of subframes of the same subframe type in the second component carrier;

receiving, on the first component carrier, a configuration to monitor a control channel for the second component carrier;

determining a reference uplink-downlink subframe configuration for the second component carrier based at least in part on the subframe type and the received configuration for the control channel; and

determining whether a hybrid automatic repeat request (H-ARQ) timing for data transmissions for the second component carrier follows a H-ARQ timing of the first cell or a H-ARQ timing of the second cell based at least in part on a format of an uplink control channel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the control channel is at least one of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or an enhanced PDCCH (EPDCCH).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the control channel comprises a carrier indication field (CIF).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first component carrier is a primary component carrier and the first cell L a primary cell (PCell); and

the second component carrier is a secondary component carrier and the second cell a secondary cell (SCell).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first component carrier is a given secondary component carrier and the first cell is a given secondary cell (SCell); and

the second component carrier is another secondary component carrier and the second cell is another SCell.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a first set of subframes of the subframe type in the first component carrier is a subset of a second set of subframes of the same subframe type in the second component carrier.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the subframe type is one of at least two subframe types, wherein:

a first subframe type comprises at least one of a downlink subframe or a special subframe;

or

a second subframe type comprises an uplink subframe.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the subframe type is of the first subframe type, and the reference uplink-downlink subframe configuration is based on the first component carrier.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the subframe type is of a second subframe type, and the reference uplink-downlink subframe configuration is based on the second component carrier.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

means for identifying a first component carrier, affiliated with a first cell, and a second component carrier, affiliated with a second cell, among a plurality of component carriers to be aggregated, wherein a first number of subframes of a subframe type in the first component carrier is less than a second number of subframes of the same subframe type in the second component carrier;

means for receiving, on the first component carrier, a configuration to monitor a control channel for the second component carrier;

means for determining a reference uplink-downlink subframe configuration for the second component carrier based at least in part on the subframe type and the received configuration for the control channel; and

means for determining whether a hybrid automatic repeat request (H-ARQ) timing for transmissions for the second component carrier follows a H-ARQ timing of the first cell or a H-ARQ timing of the second cell based at least in part on a format of an uplink control channel.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the control channel is at least one of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or an enhanced PDCCH (EPDCCH).

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein a first set of subframes of the subframe type in the first component carrier is a subset of a second set of subframes of the same subframe type in the second component carrier.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the subframe type can be one of at least two subframe types, wherein:

a first subframe type comprises at least one of a downlink subframe or a special subframe; and

a second subframe type comprises an uplink subframe.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor configured to identify a first component carrier, affiliated with a first cell, and a second component carrier, affiliated with a second cell, among a plurality of component carriers to be aggregated, wherein a first number of subframes of a subframe type in the first component carrier is less than a second number of subframes of the same subframe type in the second component carrier; and

a radio transceiver configured to receive, on the first component carrier, a configuration to monitor a control channel for the second component carrier;

wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a reference uplink-downlink subframe configuration for the second component carrier based at least in part on the subframe type and the received configuration for the control channel and determine whether a hybrid automatic repeat request (H-ARQ) timing for transmissions for the second component carrier follows a H-ARQ timing of the first cell or a H-ARQ timing of the second cell based at least in part on a format of an uplink control channel.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code for causing a computer to:

identify a first component carrier, affiliated with a first cell, and a second component carrier, affiliated with a second cell, among a plurality of component carriers to be aggregated, wherein a first number of subframes of a subframe type in the first component carrier is less than a second number of subframes of the same subframe type in the second component carrier;

receive, on the first component carrier, a configuration to monitor a control channel for the second component carrier;

determine a reference uplink-downlink subframe configuration for the second component carrier based at least in part on the subframe type and the received configuration for the control channel; and

determine whether a hybrid automatic repeat request (H-ARQ) timing for data transmissions for the second component carrier follows a H-ARQ timing of the first cell or a H-ARQ timing of the second cell based at least in part on a format of an uplink control channel.

16. A method for carrier aggregation operable by a network entity in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

identifying a first component carrier, affiliated with a first cell, and a second component carrier, affiliated with a second cell, among a plurality of component carriers to be aggregated, wherein a first number of subframes of a subframe type in the first component carrier is less than a second number of subframes of the same subframe type in the second component carrier;

sending, to a mobile device, a configuration, on the first component carrier, to monitor a control channel for the second component carrier;

determining a reference uplink-downlink subframe configuration for the second component carrier based at least in part on the subframe type and the sent configuration for the control channel; and

determining whether a hybrid automatic repeat request (H-ARQ) timing for data transmissions for the second component carrier follows a H-ARQ timing of the first cell or a H-ARQ timing of the second cell based at least in part on a format of an uplink control channel.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the control channel is at least one of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or an enhanced PDCCH (EPDCCH).

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the control channel comprises a carrier indication field (CIF).

19. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the first component carrier is a primary component carrier and the first cell is a primary cell (PCell); and

the second component carrier is a secondary component carrier and the second cell is a secondary cell (SCell).

20. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the first component carrier is a given secondary component carrier and the first cell is a given secondary cell (SCell); and

the second component carrier is another secondary component carrier and the second cell is another SCell.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein a first set of subframes of the subframe type in the first component carrier is a subset of a second set of subframes of the same subframe type in the second component carrier.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the subframe type can be one of at least two subframe types, wherein:

a first subframe type comprises at least one of a downlink subframe or a special subframe; and

a second subframe type comprises an uplink subframe.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the subframe type is of the first subframe type, and the reference uplink-downlink subframe configuration is based on the first component carrier.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the subframe type is of a second subframe type, and the reference uplink-downlink subframe configuration is based on the second component carrier.

25. An apparatus, comprising:

means for identifying a first component carrier, affiliated with a first cell, and a second component carrier, affiliated with a second cell, among a plurality of component carriers to be aggregated, wherein a first number of subframes of a subframe type in the first component carrier is less than a second number of subframes of the same subframe type in the second component carrier;

means for sending, to a mobile device, a configuration, on the first component carrier, to monitor a control channel for the second component carrier;

means for determining a reference uplink-downlink subframe configuration for the second component carrier based at least in part on the subframe type and the sent configuration for the control channel; and

means for determining whether a hybrid automatic repeat request (H-ARQ) timing for data transmissions for the second component carrier follows a H-ARQ timing of the first cell or a H-ARQ timing of the second cell based at least in part on a format of an uplink control channel.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the control channel is at least one of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or an enhanced PDCCH (EPDCCH).

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein a first set of subframes of the subframe type in the first component carrier is a subset of a second set of subframes of the same subframe type in the second component carrier.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the subframe type can be one of at least two subframe types, wherein:

a first subframe type comprises at least one of a downlink subframe or a special subframe; and

a second subframe type comprises an uplink subframe.

29. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor configured to identify a first component carrier, affiliated with a first cell, and a second component carrier, affiliated with a second cell, among a plurality of component carriers to be aggregated, wherein a first number of subframes of a subframe type in the first component carrier is less than a second number of subframes of the same subframe type in the second component carrier; and

a radio transceiver configured to send, to a mobile device, a configuration, on the first component carrier, to monitor a control channel for the second component carrier; and

wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a reference uplink-downlink subframe configuration for the second component carrier based at least in part on the subframe type and the sent configuration for the control channel and determine whether a hybrid automatic repeat request (H-ARQ) timing for transmissions for the second component carrier follows a H-ARQ timing of the first cell or a H-ARQ timing of the second cell based at least in part on a format of an uplink control channel.

30. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code for causing a computer to:

identify a first component carrier, affiliated with a first cell, and a second component carrier, affiliated with a second cell, among a plurality of component carriers to be aggregated, wherein a first number of subframes of a subframe type in the first component carrier is less than a second number of subframes of the same subframe type in the second component carrier;

send, to a mobile device, a configuration, on the first component carrier, to monitor a control channel for the second component carrier;

determine a reference uplink-downlink subframe configuration for the second component carrier based at least in part on the subframe type and the sent configuration for the control channel; and

determine whether a hybrid automatic repeat request (H-ARQ) timing for data transmissions for the second component carrier follows a H-ARQ timing of the first cell or a H-ARQ timing of the second cell based at least in part on a format of an uplink control channel.